A 'Torrente' hits Irene at world chess tourney

The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Buoyed by two consecutive wins earlier in the week, Irene Kharisma Sukandar entered the ninth round in high spirits, but ended up losing to Ana Guadamuro Torrente of Spain in the girls' under-12 competition at the World Youth Chess Championships in Halkidiki, Greece, on Friday.

Unrated Irene, the only Indonesian contender among around 1,000 participants from 79 countries playing in ten age-group categories, surrendered to Torrente, who has a rating of 2011, in 47 moves using a Sicilian strategy at the Pallini Beach Hotel, reports said on Saturday.

The result brought Irene back to the middle of the standings between 15th and 23rd in the provisional standings in the girls' under-12 competition, which has 85 players from 55 countries.

It was Irene's third loss in nine games. She has won five times and drawn once to collect 5.5 points with another two games remaining to be played.

"If she looks for a possible push for a place in the top ten, she must win the remaining two games," Team manager Kristianus Liem said in a release.

Ding Yixin from China kept her spot at the top after she defeated compatriot and defending champion Tan Zhongyi.

She has 8.5 points, a point clear of Russia's Anastasia Savina, who took over sole possession of second place with a win over Sopiko Guramishvili of Georgia.

Sopiko was relegated to third place with 7 points followed by a pack of five players on 6.5 points and six players on 6 points each.

Kristianus said that Irene had paid dearly for her self- obliged decision to play her favorite move (6. Bc4) in the opening stages of the game while the opponent was playing a Paulsen variation of Sicilian defense.

"In such a buildup of position, it was not appropriate to play a bishop to c4," he said.

Through tactically cunning moves, Torrente forced a massive exchange of pieces to bring the game to an ending phase after only 20 moves.

Irene was left on the defense in the last stages of the game in which each held a pair of rooks and a few pawns.

"Irene fell to a strategical mistake on move 31 when she liquidated her rook with Torrente's, allowing the Spaniard's pawns to become well-connected again.

"Irene found it difficult to develop her game and Torrente was unstoppable in closing out the game for her victory," Kristianus said.

Irene will take on Ozturk Kubra of Turkey in the tenth round on Saturday.

Irene Kharisma Sukandar-Ana Guadamuro Torrente

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 Bb4 7.0-0 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Nxe4 9.Qg4 d5 10.Bb5 Bd7 11.Qxg7 Qf6 12.Qxf6 Nxf6 13.f3 Nxd4 14.Bxd7+ Nxd7 15.cxd4 Rc8 16.Rf2 Nb6 17.Rb1 Rc4 18.Ba3 Kd7 19.Bc5 Kc6 20.Bxb6 axb6 21.Rd2 Ra8 22.Rb2 Raa4 23.c3 Rxc3 24.Kf2 Raa3 25.Kg3 Ra8 26.Kh4 Rg8 27.Kh5 Rg6 28.Rb4 Rc4 29.Rb3 b5 30.Ra3 Ra4 31.Rxa4 bxa4 32.Rc2+ Kb6 33.g3 Ka6 34.a3 b5 35.f4 h6 36.Rc5 Kb6 37.Rc8 Rf6 38.h4 Rg6 39.Rc5 Rxg3 40.Kxh6 Rxa3 41.h5 Rg3 42.Kh7 a3 43.h6 a2 44.Rc1 b4 45.f5 exf5 46.Kh8 b3 47.h7 Rh3 0-1